“Trans women deserve to be loved out in the open and in the light,” she said in a pre-issue interview posted to Twitter. “Let go of fear and live a fun, fearless life. If I can do it, you can do it.

“As a black transgender woman, I’ve often been kept a secret by the men I’ve dated,” Cox said, when asked about romance. “So, when my ex-boyfriend introduced me to his dad, and invited me to spend Hanukkah with him and his family, it was the most special thing ever.”

Another kickass voice featured in the issue is 19-year-old trans model and activist Elle van der Burg, who identifies as pansexual. “To ask when I started [transitioning], is like me asking you when you started being yourself,” she said in a behind-the-scenes video for Cosmo.

“We’re just like everyone else — we’re just not as privileged to be perceived the way as everyone else is. I’m like every other girl. I might look a little different and be a little taller, but I think that’s pretty badass. Anyone you know could be trans. Human dignity and respect is something we give to everyone every day, anyway.”

Van de Burg says that trans rights aren’t adequately taken into consideration in regards to legal, structural and social development in South Africa. “It’s legal for me to be openly transgender in our country. However, a lot of people don’t think about trans people when they think about spaces where trans people would need to be in to survive and live happy, normal, healthy lives,” she said.